SMart Wind, the consortium led by Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project Ventures, has submitted a Scoping Report to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) detailing the proposed approach to the development of the first projects in the 4GW Hornsea Zone. It sets out the proposed content, key issues and methodologies for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the results of which will be included in the Environment Statement, due to be submitted with the consent application in the summer of 2012.
The report covers the offshore wind farm, the offshore substation; the export cable route corridor associated with the onshore study area, as well as the grid connection at Killingholme substation in North Lincolnshire.
SMart Wind’s General Manager, Chris Hill commented: “The Scoping Report gives interested parties and non-statutory stakeholders the opportunity to have their say on things such as how the onshore cable route is selected and what mitigation measures could be put in place. It also gives an opportunity to influence the scope of the technical studies that need to be undertaken as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process.
We strongly encourage people to have their say by submitting their comments either to the IPC (https://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk/) or to SMart Wind directly (www.SMartWind.com.uk) before the end of January 2011.”
In September of this year SMart Wind secured a 1GW Grid Connection Agreement at Killingholme in North Lincolnshire placing the project firmly on track to commence construction in 2014 with the remaining 3GW planned for construction between 2015 and 2020. The consortium has been carrying out various onshore and offshore surveys throughout 2010 in order to ensure that the EIA programme remains on track to submit a full application for Project One to the IPC in the summer of 2012.
Hornsea is one of the three largest Zones awarded for development under The Crown Estate’s Round 3 programme in December 2009. SMart Wind, a 50/50 joint venture between Siemens Project Ventures (SPV) and Mainstream, has assembled a unique vertically integrated consortium ensuring all major deliverables such as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC), cables, wind turbines and vessels are in place to commence construction on time. Siemens Energy Sector companies are expected to supply wind turbines and offshore substations.
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Source: smartwind, November 26, 2010;